Athletics News Release

Union Opens 2004 Season at Home versus Cross-Town Rival Lambuth

JACKSON, Tenn. - 8/23/2004 - The Union University men’s soccer season will get started on Tuesday, August 24 at home versus Lambuth University. The game time for the Sixth Annual Jackson Cup is 7:00 p.m. Union leads the Jackson Cup series with Lambuth 3-2 and has won two straight in the series.

The 2004 soccer season for the Union University Bulldogs is one that will be met with great anticipation. Especially following a year in which Union soccer made major strides to move the program to a higher level, including the NCCAA National Championship. This 2004 team expects to be able to build on the successes of last season as Union soccer begins its seventh season of varsity competition.

Union's schedule in 2004 is the first object that grabs attention as it is what head coach Dr. Darin White calls, "easily our most difficult schedule that we've ever had." Eleven of the 20 opponents were ranked during the 2003 season in either the NAIA or NCAA polls. Union opens the season on the road at NCAA Div. I opponent Belmont University in Nashville, then follows that up with a home match versus cross-town rival Lambuth University. In the short history of the program, Union has made strides to become a contender in the NAIA, a difficult task as the NAIA Region XI that Union competes has produced six national champions since 1995. Also included on the schedule is NAIA preseason No. 10 Mid-Continent and No. 14 University of Mobile.

New at Union in 2004 will be a junior varsity soccer program. According to Coach White, this team will serve as a reserve team for the varsity and also allow more players the opportunity to play soccer at the college level. This in turn, hopes to increase the level of play for Union soccer in the coming years.

This team for Union is very young, with only four junior and seniors combined on the 2004 roster. Coach White hopes to lead this team to their first ever TranSouth Conference Championship and be award their first trip to the NAIA Region XI Tournament.